Fairhope City Council has been pedaling backwards their whole term. They now have a chance to pedal forward, putting Fairhope on the map, when it comes to the city supporting education. PEDALING BACKWARDS - Ripp Report The Fairhope City Council is in full re-election mode, for 2020, and are trying desperately to accomplish anything they can claim for a victory. So …

The Fairhope City Council is in full re-election mode, for 2020, and are trying desperately to accomplish anything they can claim for a victory. So far, going on three years, they have yet to produce anything they can claim as a major accomplishment. POP UP TARGET - Ripp Report Jack Burrell is like a pop up target. He is involved in one controversy after the other. The newest “sketchy and secretive” project is the K-1 Center. …

Gulf Shores Mayor and Council are acting the same way the previous Mayor of Fairhope, Tim Kant, acted involving the controversy of the Fairhope Fly Creek Apartments. The Mayor and his buddy developer ignored the sentiments of the community. It cost the Mayor his job as well as a few councilman. The collateral effect in Fairhope resulted in firings, retirements and resignations of over a dozen employees, who needed to go.

Fairhope Council President fails, again. The Fairhope City Council rushed into a deal to obtain grant money to purchase the K-1 center. Council president Burrell would not consider any other options or the best use for the K-1 Center. It was his plan or no plan. The council ignored any issues like lead or asbestos. They did not consider the renovation cost verses new construction. They gave no consideration to a proposal of a boutique hotel, over 100 additional parking spaces for downtown, and saving the facade of the school, and much more.

For the last 15 years one complaint in Fairhope has been consistent. Why do I have to comply with Fairhope municipal regulations when I live outside the city limits and I cannot vote in Fairhope elections? Well, folks I will have to admit that the newly elected State Senator Chris Elliott is not who I thought would tackle the issue. The last State Senator Tripp, BP, Pittman never addressed any of the issues in the county, unless he could make a buck.

FAIRHOPE THE GOOD Fairhope has come a long way in the last 2 and ½ years. Infrastructure, sewer problems and planning and zoning all have gotten the attention of the new administration. The employees, supervisors and city staff are the best qualified personal the city has ever employed. These accomplishments did not come easy and did not come with any assistance of the Catalyst Council, who has yet to accomplish anything significant. More and more of the citizens of Fairhope are beginning to understand that the council’s agenda has been obstruction and their goal is to overthrow the present government in 2020. Mayor Wilson and staff deserve to be commended on their accomplishments and their promise to put the city before politics.

Can you hear me now! How many times in the last 18 months has the Mayor of Fairhope gone on record, with the City Council, about the lack of communication between the Mayor’s office and the City Attorney. The Jan. 28th meeting of the Fairhope City Council is a prime example of the lack of communication the Mayor is talking about. The City Attorney and the Council President, Captain Jack, took it upon themselves to make decisions about the Golf Course equipment, without advising the Mayor of any details or problems.

There are two types of salesman. The ones that put a sign up and wait for the phone to ring, they usually have the most bravado and produce the least. Then you have the ones that knock on doors, they are used to being turned down however they keep knocking on those doors and are the successful ones. Baldwin County is experiencing an explosion of growth especially the middle and coastal part of the county. All that growth can be misleading, what may appear to be a booming economy has a dark side as well. Is Baldwin County going to depend on housing as a major industry? Is Baldwin County going to become a job market primarily for the service industry? What jobs are going to be available for the next generation?

I do not want the Ripp Report readers thinking I am getting soft for complimenting some of the Baldwin County Mayors, but they deserve it. Fairhope definitely is on the right track and may be debt free by 2020. STATE OF THE CITY – 2019 STATE OF THE CITY – 2019 | THE RIPP REPORT / BALDWIN COUNTY LEGAL EAGLE Congratulations to the Mayor, Department heads, employees and the production staff who produced the 2019 State of the City booklet. The State of the City was presented by the Mayor last night in the…

Congratulations to the Mayor, Department heads, employees and the production staff who produced the 2019 State of the City booklet. The State of the City was presented by the Mayor last night in the civic center. It was not just a speech but an expo. Tables lined the walls representing different departments, with department heads and employees present to answer questions. The atmosphere was positive, the employees moral was high and their sense of pride was obvious.